It’s one thing to make sure your own personal devices are secure. But you want to protect the other people in your life, too. What can you do to help them stay safe online?
With the rise of cybercrime, it’s more important than ever to ensure your loved ones can spot the signs of a phishing scam.
A phishing scam is when a cybercriminal attempts to steal your personal information by pretending to be someone else, such as a financial institution or service provider.
By going over the basics of cybersecurity with your loved ones, you can help your family become more cyber safe:
Raise awareness about online safety by starting these conversations with older adults in your life:
By accepting friend requests from strangers, you give that person access to any personal information on your profile—for example, your address or your birthday.
Before accepting a friend request on social media, encourage your loved ones to check out their profile first. Do they recognize that person? Are they posting content that seems strange?
Scammers often pose as people you’re already friends with or celebrities to trick you into accepting their request.
It’s better to decline the request than risk being targeted by a scammer.
Cybercriminals target older adults by impersonating grandchildren or family members in need.
It’s important to take a minute to slow down and ask yourself: Does this request make sense, or should I think twice before sending money?
Tell your loved one that if they get a call from an unknown number, and the caller claims to be a blood relative of theirs, hang up the phone and call the person directly to verify it first.
Urge your loved ones to look closely at the message before clicking on any links or attachments in emails or texts. Is the message coming from who they think it is?
Talk to your family about the signs of a suspicious email, including:
For more information, check out how to prevent elder financial abuse.
It’s not enough to limit your child’s access to the online world at home. These days, kids are using the internet at friends’ houses or at school.
Here’s some cybersecurity advice you can give your little ones, so they can better understand what’s okay (and what’s not okay) to share online:
Young children may be tempted to overshare – which is something a cybercriminal can use to steal personal information.
Tell your children that they should never share personal details like:
Once shared, personal information can’t be taken back. Make sure the little ones in your life understand that some things are best kept private—especially online.
Encourage young ones to speak up if they ever receive a strange message online. It never hurts to ask! Let them know your door is always open if they want to talk.
When you think of the most common scams, you probably picture phone calls or emails. But cybercriminals also use social media or online games to find their victims.
Some phishing scams are specifically designed to target young children.
Teach your kids about the common signs of phishing scams, which can happen anywhere online, like:
You can always contact us if you’re concerned that you or someone you love may be targeted by a phishing scam. Our advisors can help you sort fact from fiction! We’ll help you learn more to keep you and your loved ones.
We would be happy to discuss your unique situation with you.
Our goal is to make complex topics like this one, simple.
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